Knights bullies in opener
Agent’s tweet reveals more about Fleury than he’s telling
THE flower emoji wilted over the past few days. Some of those pink petals now lie on ice. Marc-andre Fleury said he doesn’t want to be a distraction to the Golden Knights and their pursuit of a Stanley Cup championship. Funny. That’s exactly what he and his longtime agent became through a pointed (and now deleted) tweet.
You probably saw it. Allan Walsh went all Excalibur on Saturday in tweeting an image of Fleury as the goaltender with a sword through his back. Along the blade was the name Deboer in reference to Knights coach Pete Deboer. Real subtle.
On more than one occasion, Fleury has described
his agent as family, someone he has known since age 15. So to believe Fleury didn’t know that Walsh would be aiming such an arrow at management is to believe the agent went totally rogue on the most important of clients. Nobody believes that. Or shouldn’t.
Fleury as much confirmed his knowledge of Walsh’s intentions Sunday, twice not directly answering questions in regard to the tweet just hours before the Knights opened their Western Conference semifinal series against the Vancouver Canucks with a 5-0 victory.
“I think (Walsh) is a guy that always protects, or cares a lot about his players, and he does about me also,” Fleury said. “I think this was maybe a way to defend me in that situation where I’m not playing much.”
Deboer’s one job
Um, protect Fleury from what?
Has everyone lost all sense of what a coach’s sole job is when deciding on a lineup? It’s only to choose players he thinks affords the team its best chance to win. There is no loyalty clause involved here. Deboer owes nothing to anyone except his best effort in preparing and coaching those he puts on the ice. Robin Lehner is the starter because he has been the better goaltender for some time. The end.
I suppose there is a (great) chance management hasn’t communicated well with Fleury, from why they really brought Lehner in at the trade deadline and then again about Fleury’s role leading up to the season’s restart. I suppose Fleury felt a sense of security when the Knights (foolishly) extended his contract by three years in 2018.
But this is a cutthroat busi
ness. You’re talking about a franchise that at midseason fired a coach (Gerard
Gallant) who delivered a
Stanley Cup Final appearance and playoff berths in each of the team’s first two years. One that said it reassigned its goalie coach
(Dave Prior), only to have The level of fallout is anyhim later be quoted that he one’s guess and makes what was actually fired and told was thought to be an interhe was no longer part of the esting offseason storyline organization. — would the Knights try to
Such dishonest nature keep Lehner and Fleury — by those at the top doesn’t all the more fascinating now. make the Knights unique. It In the moment, teams just makes them like every usually respond to such other major league sports distraction one of two ways. franchise. They let it fester and affect
And yet none of it changes their play and pay for it on this: Fleury and his agent the scoreboard. Or they use could have handled the it as motivation to close player’s unhappiness far ranks and play out of their better. Like incredibly so. minds. The Knights are
Like not in a public forum. talented enough to do the At best, these are terrible latter all the way to a Cup opticstitle.attheworsttime.
This isn’t a first for Walsh, There is no more respectwho has used social media ed or likable figure in the before to relay his frustraKnights’ room than Fleury. tions or that of a client to a He is as beloved there as he specific organization. Think what you want. Much like Deboer choosing who to play, Walsh’s only concern is doing what he believes is best for Fleury. However bizarre his tactics.
How to respond
is with fans across the NHL. He also knows this world. He doesn’t have to like it. As a supreme competitor, he shouldn’t. But this was a bad, unnecessary look.
“I’ve known these guys for a little while now,” Fleury said of his teammates. “I don’t know, I just want to put this behind and move on, you know? I told them all I care about is winning and (what’s) best for the team.”
Oh, he cares about more than that.
It’s how he and his agent chose to reveal it that was the problem.